Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-27
RENARkABLE ADMINISTRATITE
FEAT

fEAE
This adipose administration of Grover
Cleveland, now. as the result Of certain pro
cesses-sOme known and some unknown
president OF the United States-is remark
able, among other things for Its freaks,
The order for the restoration Of captured
flags. was one of these. and its prompt re-
vocation. under fire from Governor Foraker
shows. in itself. that ii was an ill-cOnsidered
As well As an illegal act. For q quarter Of
a century Christian missionaries have been
gathering the Indians into schools for re-
ligious instruction In the Dakota region,
and have accomplished . great deal Of
good. 1t was found absolutely necessary,
from the first, to commence the work of
enlightenment by teaching the Indians.
young and old. in the vsrnacular-
making that basis for the teaching Of En-
glish. Indeed. the missionaries declare that
it is impossible to teach English withot Civ
ing preliminary instruction In the native
tongue Of the Indians. They have, there
fore. had in use for many years text books
and religious works. with the Bible. print
ed in the Dakota language. and these have
proved useful in bringing the young Indians
into higher grade Of instruction, embrsc-
ing the English language and text books in
English.
Now what does this remarkable admins
tration. through Commissioner J. ID. c.
Atkins, do but issue an order. in December
last. that I'm all schools conducted by mis-
sionary organizations" e all instruc-
tion shall ~ given in the English language"
the order further declaring that ''instruc-
ton in the Dakota language shall not be
permitied?"
Was there evsr more EratuitOus. wantOn
and entirely unnecessary and unjustiiable
attempted interference with purely b.
Revolent and religious work. conducted in
the interests Of true civilization? We doubt
it. These Indians have been educated and
Christianizsd BY these missionaries, and
they have become good and useful citizens,
furnishing practical solution OF the lndi-
an problem, greatly to the advantage Of the
United States government
BY way Of showing the pretext for this
arbitrary set, we print the following letter
from Acting Commissioner Upshaw to In
dian Agent McChesnsy. of the Cheyenne
river agency, Dakota:
SIR:-YOur attention il called to the reg
ulation of this Office which forbids instruc-
tion in schools in any Indian language
Ia 70 a,bo L. L.
reservation. whether gOvarnuent or mission
schools. The education of Indians in the
vernacular is not only no use to them. but
is detrimental to their education and civili-
Zation.
You are instructed to see that this rule il
rigidly enforced in all schools upon the ros-
ervatiOn under your charge.
No mission school will b. allowed upon
the reservation which dosR not comply with
the regulation.
To this Rev. Dr. T. l.. Riggs. q man who
has done more to solve the Indian problem,
and solve it correctly and in the interest
of humanity and good government, than
any man since the days of William Penn,
replies as follows:
Owing to absence from home am not In
receipt Of yours of July Esd, enclosing copy
Of department letter of July 10Th relative
TO instruction In reservation schools, till to-
day.
Permit me in reply to submit the follow
ing:
u Our mission day schools on the
Cheyenne river are not secular. but are re-
ligious schools in their entire course Of
study and aim.
t2D The unrestricted use Of the vernac-
ular Is essentiabJt0 the plan and object Of
these schools. therefore am not able to
see how l can do otherwise than disregard
the regulations Of the department 1t is an
issue squarsly taken and with full under
standing Of what this means.
That may make your thankless duty in
this matter as pleasant Is possible. shall
advise you fully Of the course We shall
take.
We have no doubt that this action OF the
Is illegal a well as arbitrary
and morally wrong. and we are waiting TO
see whether the government is to move on
Dr. Riggs works with . battery-knock
down his mission school houses and put
him and his mission associates in Q mill
tary prison.